Many semiconductor manufacturing processes are performed in processing systems such as plasma etch systems, plasma deposition systems, thermal processing systems, chemical vapor processing systems, atomic layer processing systems, etc. A processing system can include a ceramic substrate heater that supports and provides heating of a substrate (e.g., a wafer) during a process performed on the substrate in the processing system. The use of ceramic substrate heater materials can provide several advantages for semiconductor manufacturing, including low thermal expansion, high temperature tolerance, a low dielectric constant, high thermal emissivity, a chemically “clean” surface, rigidity, and dimensional stability that makes them preferred heater materials for many semiconductor applications. Common ceramic materials for use in ceramic substrate heaters include alumina (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon carbide (SiC), beryllium oxide (BeO), and lanthanum boride (LaB6).
Repetitive processing of substrates in a processing system can modify a surface of a ceramic substrate holder and other system components in the processing system that are exposed to the process environment. For example, the modification can include formation of material deposits on the ceramic substrate holder or erosion of the ceramic substrate holder material. Since the ceramic substrate holder, and other system components, are designed and manufactured according to strict specifications, the erosion can require frequent ex-situ refurbishing or even replacement of the system components, often at a great cost and long downtimes for the processing system. Therefore, there is a general need for methods for in-situ refurbishing of system components.